1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to utility boxes and, more particularly, to utility boxes adapted for satisfying the needs of a tobacco smoker, especially a pipe smoker.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Forms of tobacco that are smoked are numerous and include cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. For convenience, a number of forms of tobacco can be stored in one location to give smoker a choice as to which form of tobacco to smoke. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided which conveniently stored a number of forms of tobacco.
To preserve their freshness, some forms of tobacco should be stored in airtight containers. In this respect, it would be desirable if a tobacco storage device were provided which included air-tight containers.
To smoke tobacco, the tobacco must be lit by a flame. For convenience, it would be desirable if flame producing devices, such a matches, were kept near the tobacco so that the tobacco could be readily lit.
Smoked tobacco products inevitably form ashes. In this respect, it would be desirable if a tobacco storage device were provided with an ash receptacle for receiving the tobacco ashes.
When a cigar or cigarette is smoked, oftentimes the smoker wishes to set down the burning article for a brief period of time. For this purpose, ash trays often include support structures for supporting a burning cigar or cigarette.
A pipe is a smoker's article that has certain unique characteristics which differentiate it from a cigar or cigarette. Cigars and cigarettes are substantially cylindrical objects, and, as a result, their weight is distributed symmetrically about their center of gravity which lies on their longitudinal axes. With their center of gravity located along their longitudinal axes, there is little or no tendency of a cigar or cigarette to tip over. On the other hand, a pipe is an L-shaped article that includes a bowl and a stem. The center of gravity of the pipe is generally located above the longitudinal axis of the pipe stem. As a result, there is a strong tendency for the pipe to tip over when the pipe is set down on the pipe stem. When a pipe is lit and has burning tobacco in the bowl, substantial danger and inconvenience can result when the pipe tips over. In this respect, it would be desirable if a tobacco storage device were provided which included a pipe rest that is adapted to prevent a pipe from tipping over when the pipe is placed in the pipe rest.
Pipe smoking involves more than simply placing tobacco in the pipe bowl and lighting up. An important aspect of pipe smoking is the cleaning and maintenance of the pipe. For pipe cleaning and maintenance, certain pipe tools are especially useful. In this respect, it would be desirable if a tobacco storage device were provided with pipe tools to facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the pipe.
For smoking tobacco, an ignition source must be provided for lighting the tobacco. For this purpose, matches are often used. There are two kinds of matches: safety matches; and nonsafety matches. To ignite a nonsafety match, the match must be struck along a rough surface. In this respect, it would be desirable if a tobacco storage device were provided with a rough surface that is suitable for igniting nonsafety matches.
As mentioned above, it would be desirable for a smoker's utility device to include air-tight containers. However, when a plurality of air-tight containers are employed, there may be a tendency for the containers to move about and bump into one another. In this respect, it would be desirable if a tobacco storage device were provided which included a plurality of air-tight containers that are prevented from moving around and bumping into each other.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to smoker's utility devices, and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of some of those innovations: 3,566,882; 4,267,926; 4,300,675; 4,588,076; and 5,074,412. However, none of the devices disclosed in the cited patents provides the beneficial features discussed above for a smoker's utility device.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use storage containers for smoker's articles, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a smoker's utility apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) conveniently stores a number of forms of tobacco; (2) includes air-tight containers; (3) retains matches near the tobacco so that the tobacco can be readily lit; (4) provides with an ash receptacle for receiving the tobacco ashes; (5) includes support structures for supporting a burning cigar or cigarette; (6) includes a pipe rest that is adapted to prevent a pipe from tipping over when the pipe is placed in the pipe rest; (7) provides a rough surface that is suitable for igniting nonsafety matches; and (8) includes a plurality of air-tight containers that are prevented from moving around and bumping into each other. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique smoker's utility apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.